Help: looking for suggestions where to do my Divemaster Training in SEA October/Novem

[Lucky Diver]

Dear Fellow Divers,
I found a lot of useful information on Scubaboard but since searching for such a personalized question is difficult. I thought I post my own “problem” and see if someone can point me in the right direction.
I would like to do my Divemasters in either Malaysia or Indonesia but, I’m not set on these 2 countries so if someone says the Philippines are the place to go I would also consider it.
At the moment I am traveling around SEA and really enjoy diving so I thought instead of just doing fun dives here and there wouldn’t it be great to base myself on a nice Island for 2 Months or so and do my Divemasters in Addition to the fun dives? I am fortunate enough to have the time but I want to keep on traveling after the Divemaster training so it shouldn’t be too expensive. But to make myself clear I am willing to pay for a good quality Training.
I am not looking for a career in the diving industry but rather for 2 months great diving and becoming a better diver. So what I am looking for is a big diversity in diving with some “difficult” dive sites.
I did quite a lot of research in where I want to go fun diving and where I possibly could to my Divemaster Training. The factors that went into my decision were the Quality of diving. This is by far the biggest factor for me. I want to dive somewhere that had amazing diving. The other factor is the Dive Shop. It is important for me that I get a Good Training and I am willing to pay for it.
I just finished my Rescue Diver Training in Koh Tao Thailand and since the diving here is not amazing and challenging enough it is not an option.
The places I definitely want to go for fun dives and consider doing the DMT are:
Sipadan / Malaysia: amazing Diving but possibly not the best Dive operators judging from reports here on Scubaboard and emails I got back from a few Dive Shops.
Pulau Weh / Indonesia: Amazing challenging Diving from what I heard but again I heard and read a lot of bad things about some dive operators there and the emails I got back from some Diveshops weren't really professional.
Sulawesi / Indonesia: Amazing diving. Maybe someone has a recommendation which dive operator I could do the internship with?
Bali / Indonesia: good diving but not really challenging from what I have heard but again maybe someone here has a recommendation regarding a dive shop.
Komodo Islands, Flores / Indonesia: So far my favorite. Amazing and challenging diving but I haven't heard back from any of the dive operators I sent an email to. Any recommendations?
I know there are the Gili Islands in Indonesia where a lot of people do there DMT. I sent a few emails to dive operators and it seems pretty professional and relatively cheap but how good is the diving really?
Thanks for bearing with me ;-)
I am looking forward to some Ideas!
Cheers

 

[Bexny]

How about Malapascua Island in the Philippines? The chance to dive with thresher sharks every day would be reason enough for me to do another DM course if I could do it all over again.

I spent some time working in the Gili Islands as an instructor and I would call the diving there good but not amazing. What you go get as a DMT is a great lifestyle if you're a social person, enjoy meeting loads of people and partying. The viz is generally very good, on average 20m, and bigger animals like turtles and sharks are very common there, with occasional sightings of mantas and whale sharks. Many of the reefs have suffered from dynamite fishing in the past unfortunately and are slowly recovering.

The thing is, if you are not looking for a career in the diving industry but rather great diving, why don't you do a bunch of dives and perhaps some specialty courses instead? Sure, in many places doing a Divemaster course is the cheapest way to get in loads of dives, but the point of the course is to learn how to be a dive professional - how to assist on courses, how to supervise groups of divers, how to respond and deal with problems, among many other things. You'll become a better diver by virtue of diving all the time but at the same time, basing yourself in one place for two months means you'll only experience the conditions and diving of that location. If you have the means (i.e. funds) to travel around a bit to dive in different conditions, you'll surely improve. Good luck wherever you wind up!

 

[Bubble Junky]

I'd look into Scuba Junkie on Sipadan/Mabul... Great dives, plus great variety - Sipadan for walls and Mabul for macro...

The diving in Malapascua is not that great. The threshers are awesome, but very early in the morning. Apart from the threshers I got bored of the dives pretty quickly there - the macro is OK (nowhere near as good as in Mabul, or Pulau Weh even), the corals are nice, but there's no fish... The diving is not challenging either.

If you want challenging and great diving then Komodo, as you mentioned, or Pulau Weh. Don't believe all you read too... Also might be worth looking at Lembongan off Bali try Big Fish Diving...

 

[Quero]

When I read this

I am not looking for a career in the diving industry but rather for 2 months great diving and becoming a better diver. So what I am looking for is a big diversity in diving with some “difficult” dive sites.

I just question whether doing the DM training is really going to be the best expenditure of your money and help you meet your objectives. The thing is that DM training isn't really about diving, it's more about leadership, so the focus isn't on dive sites and amazing diving or challenging dives, but rather on assisting in courses (usually not conducted at "amazing" dive sites and almost never specifically at "difficult" ones), helping out on the boat/office/shop, providing customer service. It's just not mainly about diving at all, so if that's your focus, you should reconsider. In addition, once you're a DM intern, you are not diving for your own enjoyment or development--you are diving to help your customers enjoy THEIR dives (which are also not typically on "difficult" or challenging dive sites).

Why not spend the same amount of money just diving for fun at all those amazing places you list in order to develop your skills? Or if you want courses and a sense of belonging at your chosen dive shop, go for the Master Scuba Diver rating instead?

 

[Lucky Diver]

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it.

Of course I want to do the DMT not only for the Diving but also because want to learn what it takes to be a good Divemaster.
What I was trying to say is that I would definitely work as a Divemaster but since they don’t get paid that well I don’t plan on doing it for ever. That’s all. Sorry I probably wasn’t to clear on that one XXXXXX
I looked into Scuba Junkie at Sipadan but they told me that while doing the DMT I wouldn’t get the chance to actually dive Sipadan unless I pay for Fun dives there. I heard mixed reviews about them.
Thanks Bexny I will look into Malapascua Island as I said I haven’t thought about the Philippines that much. Do you have a good Diveschool in mind for the Gili Islands? I want to concentrate more on the course and don’t go out partying that much to be honest.
Wouldn’t diveoperators from Bali go to Lembongan for daytrips Bubbly Junky? I have a look at Big Fish Diving.
One last question has anyone dived with Devine Diving Komodo? I find I really hard to find reviews.

 

[Rogersea]

There are lots of opportunities for outstanding DM training in the Philippines. One of the nice things about the Philippines is it is easy to travel cheaply between very diverse dive destinations.

If you sign-on with a relatively busy dive center you should be able to complete all the requirments and still have time to make some week-end trips to great destinations.... It is easy to travel around the Philippines if you are based in the Visayas check out Mactan, Malapascua, Moalboal or Panglao, as Visayan destinations which could support your DMT training, but also check out Puerto Galera because some of the PG shops have a high through-put of students.

Whatever Country you decide on good luck!!!!!

Cheers,
Roger